Letting Our Minds Wander

This recent study from Vancouver provide insights into what our minds do when the wander. Wandering minds are not just a sign of inattentiveness, as these researchers show. When our minds are supposed to be working on a task, they often drift - whether we are aware of it or not. If our minds have wandered and we aren't fully aware of it, it's likely to be that dreamy right temporal lobe, repository for autobiographical memory, and emotionally significant music.



Some people who depend on regular problem solving for their employment may want to access this "below-awareness pathway" so that they can generate new ideas and solutions from the extensive library of their personal experience. Activities that require a resting wakefulness - liking listening to familiar music or driving, jogging or playing a well-practiced musical piece - are common ways that creative people say they are able to find good ideas.

And on this last note, we'll take a brief break from our blog for the Easter holidays. Have a wonderful week, and we'll be back blogging April 16th!

Wandering Minds With and Without Awareness fMRI
Eide Neurolearning Blog: Insight, Problem Solving, Right Temporal Lobe
Right Temporal Lobe Activation with Emotionally Significant Music Abstract
Invention Index Lemelson Center
Eide Neurolearning Blog: The Daydreaming Brain

Technorati tags: attention, insight, invention, innovation, creativity, problem solving, brain, fMRI, daydreaming